First ever intermodal TIR operation
between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the EU is launched today, with a
container leaving the UAE bound for Europe under a single customs transit
document and a single guarantee.

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SHARJAH, UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES - EQS - 20 September 2018 - The United Arab Emirates is an
important trade hub with a robust economy. TIR offers huge potential for
improving transit connectivity between ports and borders with free zones and
integrating them into the global logistics chain.

The UAE's strongest trading partners are India and
China -- both part of the TIR network -- reinforcing the potential for the
transit tool to transform trade along these corridors.

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Today's intermodal TIR transport
leaves the SAIF Zone in Sharjah, bound for Olomouc in the Czech Republic via Jebel Ali Port in the UAE and the
port of Hamburg, Germany. The goods are travelling by land and sea using TIR,
the global customs transit and guarantee system.

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IRU Secretary General, Umberto de
Pretto, comments "TIR's potential for improving transit connectivity in the UAE
is in the spotlight today with this first intermodal TIR transport. Once
traders see the time and cost savings, TIR will become the go-to solution in
the UAE and the region."

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Mohammed Jumaa Busaiba, Director
General of the Federal Customs Authority in Dubai adds, "Using TIR in our
intermodal transport increases substantially the UAE's global competitiveness."

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The first TIR intermodal transport
operation is the result of cooperation across the public and private sectors,
with work from IRU together with UAE member ATCUAE, Federal
Customs Authority (FCA), German member BGL, Czech member CESMAD
Bohemia and the Czech customs administration. It involved the opening of a new
customs office for TIR at Sharjah -- the SAIF Zone.

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Preparations for
roll-out across all seven Emirates are proceeding, with plans for further TIR
intermodal transport operations in the pipeline.

This latest development for improved logistics in the
region, marked at ceremonies at Sharjah SAIF
Zone and then Jebel Ali port, highlights the dynamic
road transport landscape across the GCC states -- which will take centre stage
at the IRU World Congress, to be held in Muscat, Oman from 6-8 November.�

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The transport operator behind the
intermodal transport of Miele goods is Kuehne + Nagel, UAE, one of the world's
leading logistics companies. Metrans, Germany will take over on the leg from
Germany to the Czech Republic. Kuehne + Nagel is also participating in the
World Congress, sharing insight into innovation and disruption in the logistics
sector. �

About TIR

TIR is
the only global customs transit system for moving goods across international
borders. Supporting trade and
development for more than 60 years, TIR is governed by the United Nations TIR
Convention and managed by IRU. TIR stands for "Transports Internationaux
Routiers".

About
the IRU World Congress

The IRU World Congress is the new global event for
road transport, mobility and logistics. It is a platform for global
decision-makers to exchange ideas, debate solutions and define the future of
the road transport industry. Centred on the themes of innovation and trade, it
will take place at the new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat,
from 6 to 8 November 2018.